Vice President Jeremiah Koung has clarified that he is a full-fledged member of the ruling Unity Party, contrary to the belief that he remains a member of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR).
According to VP Koung, as per the Unity Party constitution, anyone chosen by the party’s Standard Bearer as Vice Standard Bearer during an election must join the Unity Party.
He confirmed that he fulfilled this requirement before the official ceremony where he was named Vice Presidential Candidate to then-candidate Joseph Boakai, now President of Liberia.
“The Unity Party constitution says before you become Vice Presidential candidate of the party, you must join as a member. I am a full-fledged member of the Unity Party,” Koung stated.
Before his selection, Koung served as the Political Leader of the MDR.
The Vice President’s clarification comes amid ongoing speculation that he remains tied to Prince Johnson’s MDR, particularly after the Party Youth Congress congratulated Representative Richard Nagbe Koon on his election as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
It can be recalled that following the controversial election of Representative Koon, the MDR issued a statement offering what they termed “begrudging congratulations” to the newly elected Speaker.
Clarifying further, VP Koung dismissed claims linking him to the MDR, emphasizing that such allegations stem from a misunderstanding of the Unity Party’s constitution.
“People are not reading, that’s all. Before you are selected as Vice President, you must go through the process. The Executive Committee must endorse you, and you must fill in the form,” he added.
Vice President Jeremiah Koung made the clarification during the Liberian Senate regular Sitting on Tuesday while presiding over the body.
